The root meaning 'vein' is which?

• A. Phleb/o
• B. Proct/o
• C. Psych/o
• D. Reticul/o

Answer: (A)

In medical terminology, the combining form for vein is phleb/o. It appears in terms like phlebotomy (drawing blood from a vein) and phlebologist (a specialist in veins), linking directly to the concept of a vein. The other roots point to different body parts or concepts—proct/o means rectum, psych/o means mind, and reticul/o refers to a net or network—so they don’t convey the meaning of vein. That makes phleb/o the correct root for “vein.”